Supporting device for self-contained breathing apparatus



' moving the arms.

Patented June 22, 1926 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BERNHARD DRKGER, 0F LUBECK, GERMANY.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 30, 1923, Serial No. 660,251, and in Germany January 10, 1923.

This invention relates to supporting devices for self-contained breathing apparatus.

In devices already known for supporting self-contained respiratory apparatus in knapsack fashion, and not only in the case of entirely rigid devices but alsoas regards those consisting of several rigid members hingedly connected, little if any attention has been paid to the fact that when the person wearing the apparatus moves about, the supporting device-must not swing laterally to and. fro, and also that a sufiicient freedom of movement must be permitted for the shoulder blades as for instance when Furthermore in such devices on which the partsof the breathing apparatus are accommodated in any suitable manner, littleor no account has beeen taken of the fact that the heat radiating from the air purifying cartridge must be kept away from the other parts of the apparatus, and more especially from the breathing bag.

Now the object of the present invention is to obviate all these drawbacks, and to this end provides a supporting device the lower part of which resembles a saddle and is adapted to fit closely to the wearers body said part passinground the lower part of the back and extending to a greater or lesser extent towards the front, being firmly secured in this position by means of a belt or the like, whilst the upper part of the device located adjacent the shoulder blades is sufficiently offset rearwardly, in relation to the lower part, that the shoulder blades can move freely without coming into contact with said upper part. The protection of the breathing bag from the heat radiating from the air purifying cartridge is secured bv means of a separating wall or partition located between the cartridge and the breathing bag, and extending transversely and rearwardly of the device.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example and more or less diagrammatically, a practical embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device, and Figure 2 a horizontal section taken on the line AB of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the device, and Figure 4 is a side elevation of a'modified form thereof.

The device comprises mainly a rigid lower part a and a rigid upper part b branching off upwardly at c. The lower part consists of a saddle-shaped plate and is so adapted to the shape of the body, that after it is fitted on and secured by means of a belt at connected to it, it bears against the back and sides of the wearer, sits firmly on the body and can-not wobble to and fro side- Q ways. The upper part, more or less-adapted to the shapeof the shoulders is offset so far to the rear that suflicient space is left between ,it and the shoulder blades so. that, even jwhen the wearer is in a stooping position, the shoulder blades are not hampered in their movements, as shown by "the position of the right side shoulder'blade in dotted lines in Figure 1,

For carrying the device use ismade of shoulder straps e, which are fastened to the upper part and are connected with the lower partin a suitable manner, for example by hooking them into eyes 0, as will be at once understood on reference to the drawing.

The elements of the breathing apparatus are arranged on the device, preferably in such wise that the air purifying cartridge 70 is positioned on the upper part b, which may be fashioned in a basket-like form (not shown), and the breathing bag 8 and the oxygen container 7 on the saddle part a.

'Due to the fact that the lower part a fits bag 8 in order to protect the latter against the heat radiating from the former.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of the device in which the two parts a? and b instead of being formed integrally with each other are hingedly connected as at 0 In this case, however, care must be taken that the upper part b finds a point of support on the body above the shoulder blades, which can easily be provided for by suitably bending or arching the said part.

The most suitable material for use in manufacturing the parts of the device is sheet metal, as it can easily be fashioned into the shape desired. The deiri ce mayl'iowever be cast in steel or some other 'stiit'abie material.

I claim:

1. A supporting device for self-contained breathing apparatus consisting of a lower section for supporting a predetermined part of said a amas'and 'a'n ripper se'ction connected with said lower section for inde pendently supporting another predetermined part of a paratus, said lower "section being "constructed in the form ofa waistiine and to extend to a'prfe'dte'rill nt arolind the sides of the person w a1".- iiig th'e apparatus, said section further bemg adapted to be secured to the lower part of the back. 20 a a,

apparatus cbnfpris'ing a sheet-like member shapedto fit the b yjat the ba k 2. A sil-pportin'g ev se st nger-co tained of the wearer and fconstitntin 'ajlowe'r carrylng section for receiving a supporting a predetermined part of said apparatns and "an upper carrying section permanently 'm'ember shaped to fit the body "at the back or t'he wearer and constituting a lower carrying section for receiving and supporting the breathing bag and the oxygen container of said apparatus, an upper carrying section fixed upon said lower section and o'ii-set rearwardly with respect to the body :en'gaging portion thereof so as to be spacedfrom the shoulder blades of the wearer, said upper oarryi'l'ig section being arranged to re- 'c e'ive and silpport the a1r p'nrifying cartridge of said apparatus and a partition eX- tending transversely and rearwardly be jn said npper and lower sections to proto the breathing bag against the heatradia'ting from the air pnriifying cartridge.

ALEXANDER BERNHARD naiicta. 

